Thursday, October 29, 2009

Oink.

My two youngest children have the swine flu. They're doing alright, though, hanging in there with the help of ibuprofen, DVR'd episodes of the Duggars, and lots of fluids.

(This momma is hanging in there with the help of all the Halloween candy I bought earlier in the week and then attempted to hide--from myself--in the garage. I rationalize by telling myself that when the flu finally hits me--as it surely will--I'll be so hopped up on the sugar I won't care.)

(Speaking of sugar-induced irrationality, can I just tell you that I crack up everytime I hear someone mispronounce Tamiflu? I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be TAM-uh-flu, but around here, I hear a lot of TAM-ee-flu. Tammy Flue. It sounds like a character on the Andy Griffith Show.)

My oldest patient, eight-year-old Joseph, has asthma, so I'm watching him especially closely. It occurred to me today how this is just like the old days, back when he was a newborn. Last night he slept in my room, and I concentrated on his breathing, certain that if I stopped concentrating, he would stop breathing--just like the baby days.

Just like the baby days, I stumbled through the kitchen in the middle of the night, when he needed a drink.

And just like the baby days, I cuddled him back to sleep, except these days his 72 pounds of boyishness fill up my arms a lot more substantially than the eight pounds of baby once did.

It occurred to me this morning that I'll probably never lose that sense of protective worry. When I'm in my 90's, and he's in 70's, I think a part me will still be tempted to place my hand on his back, to make sure he's still breathing as he sleeps.

48 Comments

Just found your blog...your title and subheading totally crack me up! So, so true!

If it helps any, my twin boys had the swine flu over the summer-and miracle of miracles-no one else in the family got it! We were doing a praise dance on that one. I'll pray it doesn't spread in your family, too!

Oh, and I'm sure I'll also be checking my children's chests to make sure they are still rising and falling up into my 90's, too. :)

Yeah. About that TammyFlu (that's how the nurse at our family doctor's office said it and I snickered and tried to camouflage it with a cough). Jesse got 4 of his teensy-tinsy doses and when I was drawing up the 5th dose, I dropped the stinkin' bottle. There was enough left in the bottle for that dose, but I had to get another bottle today. 5 baby-sized doses of liquid TammyFlu for the lowlow price of $72. Of course the insurance company declined payment because it was too soon for a refill. YA THINK? Sooo...my little oinker is still on schedule with the TammyFlu and I've pledged to be more careful when dosing things made of diamond dust and liquid gold.

On the bright side, he was much more himself today, and so far we don't seem to have any other casualties.

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."

Even when they're 17, 15 & 12 :).

When I was in India, my oldest got REALLY sick; when I returned home, she said, "I just needed YOU, Mom...Dad doesn't know what to do." It killed me to know she wanted me and I wasn't around, but it also told me our babies never get too old for their Mama.

I'm thankful.

Praying for protection for everyone else in your family, and for speedy recovery for the others. After enduring the traditional flu last week? I can REALLY empathize!!

I just got teary eyed thinking that my 3 year old will one day be 12 then 13 and 14...I can hardly stand it. I love the age he is now and I love that he neeeeeeeds me. I can barely remember him as an 8 lb baby. Where does the time go? Promise me he will still need me when he is older.

I was wondering last night if there will ever come a night that I don't feel compelled to go look at my kids before I go to bed, to make sure they are tucked in, and to watch their breathing for a few minutes.

OH Shoot... Robin beat me to it. I was totally thinking the same thing and was going to post that. Great minds...

Sure hope everyone heals quickly. I don't know if my kids had swine or not, but they each had something that lasted a day or 2. Nothing horrible. I think a glorified cold. Thankful they have my genes when it comes to getting sick.

What were your thoughts on getting the H1N1 for your kids? I still haven't gotten it, and my 6 year old has asthma. Out here in L.A. there is hysteria and you just blogged about it so calmly. I have a MIL who is on me to get it- even a doctor in our church brought free ones last week to administer in church.

How do you have the calm? I am in desperate search for that calm!! I have been trying to figure out what to do about getting him that vaccine. Any thoughts/encouragement?

Had it here about 2 weeks ago. Hang in there. It's pretty brutal for several days but the Tammy Flue does the trick. My eldest has lung issues too and I have never been more thankful for our nebulizer. Also dumped them in steamy showers with 1/2 tsp of eucalyptus oil poured in a corner. For you: drink Emergen-C by the gallon jug. Both my husband and I managed to avoid getting it as bad as the boys! Prayers being sent your way:)

My three year old has asthma and I know exactly what your describing. As I give her her nightly doses of pulmacort via the inhaler I keep praying for her lungs and praying for protection from the swine flue. Hope he's breathing better soon and that the candy is helping you make it through the day after those long nights! While I hate to see my kids sick and hurting, there is something special about being there comfort and support during those long nights.

A few weeks ago my oldest had a mild fever along with other symptoms of the flu. I watched him very closely but he rallied quite well. Now, just today the little guy is sporting a runny nose and I find myself continually checking his forehead for any signs of a fever. What normally would be brushed off as a simple runny nose now has me somewhat on the edge of my seat... waiting....

Kim, my four year old daughter had the vaccine on Thursday (and had the flu by Sunday, but I suspect that the vaccine didn't cause it. I bet she was exposed *before* the vaccine, so the vaccine has probably helped make the illness less severe.)

As for my 8-year-old asthma boy, I didn't get the vaccine. Tried to, once, but the line was so outrageously long I gave up. Every person responds differently, of course, but I can tell you that this illness hasn't been the vile creature represented in the media. He's been really sick, with a high fever, and he's felt lousy. But his asthma meds have (so far) warded off any real lung issues, and ibuprofen, fluids and Tamiflu are keeping his symptoms under control. If I didn't know it was H1N1, I would've never known any difference between this and seasonal flu.

So my completely non-professional, non-medical take is that (for our family, at least) the media hysteria wasn't worth listening to.

If I were you, I'd call your pediatrician's office and talk to the nurse about it.

Thank you, Shannon. I appreciate you taking time to give me your thoughts! I haven't called the Dr.s yet because I figured that they would just say to get it without any new info on why or its safety, but I will call them.

Hi Shannon - my best to you all with the flu in the house. Our neighbors with 4 boys about your' ages just had it. Unfortunately it ran through the family. I know what you are going through. Hoping you have neighborly support where needed. Your old days analogy is so appropriate - I remember moving a twin bed down to the family room to sleep with croupie kids, or having a little one with a fever in our bed so I could be sure that he cooled off during the night. We are Moms forever. Keep us posted.

Oy, sorry you're dealing with this! LOL on Tammy Flue. I know someone whose son has severe asthma who got through the swin flu just fine, so I hope that's reassuring to you. Also, earlier this month, my parents insisted on leading the way somewhere, even though I told them I'd be fine, because they could tell that I was tired and not 100% sure of where I was going. So no, I don't think that protective feeling ever goes away!

Uck. We just got the vax in an attempt to avoid your fate. Prayers for quick healing for y'all.

Hey, I found a new podcast I think you will like - it is called Backdoor History. Or maybe it is History Through the Backdoor. Anyway, it is these 3 guys at UVA who call themselves The History Guys and they take a story from the headlines and get to the history behind it. They did one on mothering that I loved. Check it out.

Somehow I missed this, but my daughter did the H1N1 bit 2 weeks ago. They aren't so quick to prescribe Tammy Flue here (hee hee, though it is Tam Uh Flu), and they don't want to see the kids in office unless they have an underlying health condition.

My advice? Please continue to take their temperature even after they are well. Do this for about a week. My daughter very quietly started running a low grade 100 F fever and when I took her into the doctor the next morning, she had Clinical Pneumonia. I only caught it because her cheeks were rosey, but cool.

This will probably pass uneventfully. We were blessed with a mild/lightly moderate case.

My prayers are with you and your little ones. I'm living in Roswell, NM and we have had several children and teenagers die from swine flu. Kim, please, if you have the opportunity to have the kids vaccinated, please do. It may not be serious where you are yet, but the point of a vaccine is to keep it from becoming serious. One girl here was only 17 and her only complaints were a fever and headache that lasted for two days. They gave her Tamiflu, but it has to be administered quickly and is only fully effective after 48 hours. She died before she reached the 48 hours. My 10 year old got the flu and has asthma and I had her in our bed to watch her breathing. I prayed all night that she would get better and that if anyone should get sick, let it be me and not my four children. The following morning, she was well and I got sick that night. I had the flu which weakened me so much I also got a bladder infection and strep throat. I was out sick from work for two weeks. A neighbor of ours had the swine flu over six weeks ago and still has not been able to return to work. Please, people, take this seriously - this flu is striking healthy children. Even one child's death is too much.